The Canadian military is undergoing a structural reorganization to enhance agility and adaptability to new technologies, as stated by the Department of National Defence on Thursday. In line with countries like Australia, a new joint forces command has been established to accommodate key support components such as military health services, logistics, operational support branches, and the military police.
The Canadian Joint Forces Command (CJFC), led by Lt.-Gen. Darcy Molstad, will oversee the evolving field of counter-drone warfare and eventually integrated air and missile defense. This organization is tasked with managing joint military capabilities across various domains including land, sea, air, cyber, and space.
Lt.-Gen. Molstad emphasized that recent events such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have underscored the urgency of these changes. The evolving nature of warfare, with advancements in technology and dual-use systems, highlights the need for a unified command structure that transcends traditional army, navy, air force, and special forces divisions.
As part of the restructuring, a primary focus will be on strengthening the Canadian Forces Health Services Group to expand their capabilities to provide essential healthcare services even in conflict situations. This initiative is partly driven by Canada’s commitments to NATO.
While the transition of military police authority to CJFC is imminent, current oversight under the vice chief of the defence staff will remain until the approval of Bill C-11 by Parliament. Lt.-Gen. Molstad assured that once the transition occurs, the military police will retain operational independence in executing their policing functions.